1. I can balance a spoon on the end of my nose. I think it’s easy, but either I’m a terrible teacher or it’s harder than I think it is.

2. I recycle, wear Birkenstocks, bike (not as often as I should), do yoga, don’t watch (much) TV, garden, and home-can, and yet I don’t think of myself as counter-culture.

3. I’ve been a member of the same church my whole life. (No, we’re not polygamists. Yes, I dance. Those are the answers to the two most common questions.)

4. Our honeymoon was in San Francisco, and yet we did not fly there. Instead, we chose to drive across Nevada (in a red mustang convertible). It about killed the marriage right there.

5. I had two miscarriages between C and A, and that’s why they’re nearly 4 years apart. (Maybe that’s overshare??)

6. Though I joke about it, I’m actually looking forward to planning four weddings. I even want to do the cakes.

The 123 Meme I don’t think this meme ever died; it’s been making the rounds for over a year now… The rules (to refresh your memory): Go to page 123 of the nearest book, find the fifth sentence, and post the next three sentences. Then post a comment on the blog of the person two steps up the chain (so if I tag you, you would leave a link to your post on Julie’s blog).

From The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart:

“The bay was very quiet, almost as if the frost of the past weeks had held it icebound, then, a place line under the darkness, you could see the gap between the far headlands where the wide sea whitened. To the right — the south — the black forest climbed to a ridge, while toe the north, where the land was gentler, the big trees gave shelter. A perfect harbour, you would have thought, until you saw how shallow it was, how at low tide the shapes of rock and boulder stuck black out of the water, shiny in the starlight with weed.”

I don’t think I’ve ever commented on your blog, even though I’ve been enjoying coming to visit for a long time. But I just had to comment tonight. The driving to SF on your honeymoon comment gave me a huge chuckle and flashback. My husband and I also honeymooned in SF and we rode tripped from Phoenix – and yes, it about killed the marriage! Luckily, we went to hear a comedian at an improv place a couple of nights after arriving in SF and one of his “jokes” was about rode-tripping with your spouse. He described everything we had done and said to each other to a “tee” as if he’d been hiding out in our back seat! It sure helped us laugh at ourselves so we could face the trip home.

We have a lot in common Melissa. I hope that is good news, not scary news. Number 2 rings especially true for me. I tend to inhabit the practical, middle ground and all these things just seem self-evident to me: being comfortable, being healthy-but-not-nuts, being thrifty and self-reliant. I also think we look something alike. I can’t wait to meet you someday, Melissa!

Way cute picture! I’ve never even heard of trying to balance a spoon on my nose, but you can bet I’ll be trying it soon.Okay – just tried and so far I’ve been unsuccessful. Can you do this trick with any kind of spoon or just some?

Ah, Sherry — we only drove from Salt Lake to San Francisco. I can’t imagine how hard the drive from Phoenix would have been… (I swore I would NEVER ever live in Nevada. It’s too bleak.)Kellie and Corrine — I’d love to get east… someday… when gas prices are cheaper?? Andi — I don’t feel so bad now. It seems so easy for me. And Booklogged, maybe it’s not the type of spoon but rather the type of nose?? (I usually use metal spoons, but I can make it work with plastic, too.)

Great list! I can usually balance a spoon on my nose too (unless it’s a really heavy spoon) and my best hint is to breathe on the spoon first — like of like you’d breathe on glass to fog it up — it makes it a little stickier.